Farm-gate



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. J. JOHNSTON.

FARM GATE.

No. 449,221. Patented Mar. 31,189l.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. J. JOHNSTON. FARM GAT B.

No. 449,221. Patented Mar. 31, 1891.

M111 E5525. IHUEnTD T:

' UNITED STATES PATENT LEUNE J. JOHNSTON, OF PETALUhlA, CALIFORNIA.

FARM-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 149,221, dated March 31, 1891.

Application filed May 19, 1890. Serial No. 352,402. (No model.)

.To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEUNE J. JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Petaluma, in the county of Sonoma and State of California, have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Farm-Gates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mechanism for operating entrance-gates and farm-gates of the kind described in Letters Patent No. 30t,329,issued to me on the 2d day of September, 1884, and it has for its object principally to simplify the opening and 010s ing mechanism contained in that patent in several points or features that increase the efficiency and the durability of the mechanism, and also to insure certainty of action.

The accompanying drawings, that form a part of this specification, represent the manner in which I have combined and applied the present improvements.

Figure 1 is a front view of the gate closed and latched, the ground being broken away below the surface-line to expose the parts underground. Fig. 2 is a side view taken from the right-hand side of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4. are top views, on an enlarged scale, of the lower hinge, showing the position of the parts when the gate is closed and when it is swinging. Fig. 5 is a top view of one of the trippingwheel irons and its connections. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the wheel-iron and connections which are seen at the left-hand side of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the bearingplate and guard. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective of the wheel-iron and connections at the left of Fig. 2.

The top pintle on strap 1 of the gate A is stationary,.but the lower one on strap 2 is thrown out of perpendicular to swing the gate. A friction-roller 3 on this pintle travels against an angularbearing-plate 4, that is fixed on the lower part of the gate-p0st B in such position that one point of rest for the roller is directly in line with the top pintle, while the other point is located at the inner side of the gatepost out of line with the top pintle.

The bearing-plate is constructed, as shown in Figs. 3, i, and 7, with a guard 7,,that eX- tends from one point of rest around the plate to the opposite point and stands away from the plate at suitable distance to in close a slot lever 8.

or opening for the pintle-roller to travel in.

This guard serves to confine the roller and keep it from jumping the bearing-plate.

A single draw-rod O, laid in position lengthwise of the approach to the gate, is attached at its ends to the tripping-irons D D and is connected at or near its center to the lower pintle of the gate by the horizontal]y-placed The pivot of this lever is fixed on pin or lug O on the bearing-plate, and one end is attached to the rod 0 by a loose joint 10, while the other end is attached by ahingejoint to a curved arm '12 on the lower hingeplate standing at an angle to the line of the gate. The angle where the arm 12 joins the strap or plate 2 is the point where the pintle is'placed, and said arm and plate are pivoted together at this point. This newconstruction is much stronger and less liable to get out of order after being in use.

The wheel-irons D have portions D bent to shape to stand above the roadway in the track of the vehicles, and the outer end of each iron, being sufifieiently long for that purpose, is connected to the end of the draw-rod by the crank arm or plate F fast on the end of the crank rod D and the link or connecting piece E, that is hung loosely on the crank-rod D, but is attached at the end by a hinge-j oint f to the curved end of the draw-rod. The piece F being fixed on the end of the crankrod is provided with two studs or pins 9 g, be: tween which sits the upright member of the piece E, the arrangement being such that when the wheel-iron is pressed down in one direc tion or toward the gate one pin of the crankplate will act against the piece E and draw back the rod C, while the contrary movement of the wheel-iron will produce movement of the rod 0 in the opposite direction by pressing the other one of the pins g against the piece E.

To bring the wheel-iron and connected parts back into position quickly after the vehiclewheels have passed over the iron, I have applied a double acting spring that operates to raise the iron from either direction. The top of the crank-plate F terminatesin or has fixed to it a horizontally-extending bar F that projects over a coil-spring H, sit-ting outside the connections between the draw-rod and wheel irons, and the opposite ends of this spring are bent upward to stand perpendicularly and bear equally against the projecting bar F from opposite directions, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 8: The bearings for the iron D D may be set upon a bed-plate Z, which I have shown in Fig. 5, but omitin Fig. S-as being unnecessary to an understanding of the invention.

These standing ends h h are so arranged that they apply the force of the spring from one side or the other and thus serve to bring back the wheel-irons after it has been pressed down either toward or away from the gate.

- Over the spring and between its two standing ends is a stationary keeper composed of two uprights I I, that spring from a bed-plate X,

and a horizontal crossbar P, that sits directly under the projecting piece F and between the spring-arms g 9. When one end of the spring is pressed back by the crank-plate, the crossbar I forms a stop for the other end.

To obtain the required movements of the draw-rod with a direct connection between the draw-rod and the gate-hinge, as described, I reverse the positions of the connections at the ends of the draw-rod, and while one is connected below the center of movement of one wheel-iron the other at the opposite wheelir'onis brought above the center. The ends of the draw-rods are bent in opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 2. Thus in approaching the gate either in the direction indicated by the arrow as or from the opposite direction, as indicated by the arrow y, the draw-rod will be moved. in the same direction, and consequently the gate will be opened.

To unlatch the gate when on foot or on horseback I connect a hand-lever K to a latchoperating lever L by a rod K the' latch J being of the ordinary pivoted kind, but having a curved horn or projecting outer end J under which is set the free end of the lever L, the opposite end of that lever being pivoted to the gate-post at m, Figs. 1 and 2; The hand-lever is pivoted to the same part at m and the outer end projecting beyond the gatepost will be readily reached and worked.

The operation of these parts will be readily understood. IV hen the wheel of a. vehicle approaching the gate from either direction strikes and turns down the wheel-iron, the crank by its connections at the outer end draws back the rod 0 and throws the lower pintle of the gate outward. The gate then swinging of its own weight strikes the post W and is held by the hook W with which the gate-latch engages. As the vehicle-wheels strike and press down the opposite cran k-iron after passing through the gate, the reverse movements take place and the lower pintle is thrown back to the opposite position, thereby lifting the latch clear of the keeper on the post W and allowing the gate to close of its own weight. When the wheels of the vehicle have cleared the crank-iron D, the spring H acts to bring back the crank promptly and set it with certainty into an upright position to obtain a full'throw at the next movement.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the bearing-plate having an angular groove or slot adapted to take the pintle-roller 3, the draw-rod O, the lever 8, having one end connected to the pintle and the other end connected to the draw-rod, and the wheel-irons D D having the plates Ffixed to their outer ends and provided with studs or pins 9 9,, pieces E, connected to the ends of the draw-rod, as described, and the springs II, applied to bring back the wheelirons into position after being depressed, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the wheel-iron D D*, the plate fixed to the end of said iron having studs or pins g g set to engage the piece E, which forms a connection between said iron and draw-rod, as described, the projecting bar F on the top, and the double-acting spring H, having standing ends h h, arranged to act on opposite sides of the projecting bar and the stop 1*, substantially as described.

3. In mechanism for opening and closing gates, the stationary bearing-plate having an angular track or guide-face for the pintle of the gate-hinge to travel on and the guardplate adapted to confine said pintle to such surface, a pin or lug 9 at one end of said track, a horizontal lever B, centered on said pin or lug 9, and a link or curved arm 12, connected to one end of said lever and to the gate-pintle, in combination with said gate-pintle and strap connecting it to the gate, and with a draw- :rod connected to'the outer end of lever 8, as set forth.

4. In mechanism for opening and closing gates, the combination of the swinging pintle 3, the bent lever 8, single draw-rod G, the wheel-irons D D connecting-pieces E, the double crank-arms F, fast on the wheel-irons, having studs 9 g, and projecting bar F, and the spring H, applied, substantially as described, to restore the wheel-iron to upright position after the vehicle-wheels have passed over it.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

LEUNE J. JOHNSTON. [L. s]

Witnesses:

WM. B. HASKELL, A. A. WEBBER. 

